that flew in through the window & died

beside the altar

broken from hunger & thirst

& will believe it a sacrifice & also

the snakes trampled by trucks on the road

zhe will smell the smoke of a million acres

burned & call it a holocaust pleasing & meet

before god

zhe will see the landfills

the dumpsters overflowing with discard

streets abandoned to decay

zhe will wade through the offal & refuse

collected in ponds beside the slaughter fields

& fall prostrate

fall prostrate & say:

this is a site holy & sanctified

for zhe is counted among god’s chosen

& to the pure all things are pure